Getting Up to Speed

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We have managed to register around 60 folks in the past 4 or 5 weeks. This is substantial considering that we don't do any advertising. This site is a project that is almost a year old. We have come a long way in this short amount of time. There is still a lot to do, but with time, I am sure we can reach our goals. Goals, what goals? You say to yourself, 'Todd, I don't have any goals for this site!'. OK, maybe you don't, but since there are so many of you that are new, I thought I would go over some of the reasons this site exists, as well as what kind of crazy motivations are behind it. This site was born from a desire to make n scale model railroading information easier to acquire. I got tired of trying to track down knowledge strewn out across the web. There just weren't any sites out there that were trying to be an information portal (that I could find anyway). So nscale.net was born. I started putting the site together about Feb of 2003, but didn't launch until towards the end of October. The idea is to have a collection point for all things n scale. As a community site, the only way this collection will work to its best advantage is if everyone pitches in. To that end we have many features to help us along the way: Forums - didn't really consider them in the beginning as there were already quite a few established ones. And as a part-time information architect and corporate web-slinger, I have found that forums aren't a particularly good way to collect and disseminate information. I know that will sound like blasphemy to many of you, but how many times have you seen the same topic come up on the same forum? How many times have you heard some forum member tell another to search before posting? How many times have you searched a forum before posting only to find the information you were looking for AFTER being yelled at by another forum member for NOT SEARCHING BEFORE YOU POSTED! It's just not the best way to collect useful information. it IS a great way to get quick answers, and form relationships. But slogging through a forum looking for an answer to a question, is generally not my idea of fun. You will see that in an effort to make the forums information more usable, we have created quite a few different forums. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with them. Posting in the correct forum will help others find what they need. Links - This was one of the original ideas for this place. Ever searched for n scale on google? Did you know that some of the best results are above the 300 mark? Did you know there where at least 80 sites out there dedicated to a individual modeler's n scale layout? I was tired of bookmarking and searching so I wanted to create a source that everyone could use that would have everything (ok a tall order) in one place. We have almost 850 n scale related links in our database. And you will find much more than you could at any other model railroad links site on the net. We try to cover everything you could possibly need. We still have a long way to go, but with everyone's help, we could really create something quite spectacular. Check out the links section, you will find more than you knew existed! And while you are checking out the links database, don't forget that as a member you can submit links. Submit as many as you like. They can be about anything related to n scale. Especially submit a link if you have your own site! We have the largest collection of n scale layout links I have seen anywhere. But I am sure there are more to be had! Downloads - This is an area where we really need help. Check out the section and see what we need. One of the most frequent reasons folks come to this site is to find layout plans (we rank rather high in searches for layouts). But we only have a few. If you have a plan, please upload it and share with the rest of the community. You'd be surprised how helpful even an unfinished plan can be to someone. It is also a good way to get feedback. Images - We have a great start on our images gallery. But we could always use more. Just don't post copyrighted material that you don't own. And keep in mind that you can make sub albums under your main album. Try to keep your albums organized like that and it will help everyone out. Also, the descriptions you put under your pictures is indexed by our search engine, so be descriptive!!! Events - Our events calendar is sorely under utilized. If it weren't for the PenNScalers we would barely have anything out there! Please post your club meetings, local meets, etc. Reviews - One of our most popular sections. We get a lot of people to the site through this section. If you have anything to say about a product or service, please post a review! FAQs - we have a few FAQs started already. But of course we could always use more. If you have anything for the existing FAQs please post! Remember, FAQs can be some of the best sources of information. And there are NO dumb questions. Before posting to a forum, consider whether or not it might be better served in a FAQ. Articles - we are always looking for articles. An article could be something as involved as how to scratchbuild a roundhouse, or something a small as a product announcement or cool website you have found. We have a category (topic) to suit just about every need. See the Features menu on the left side of the page to see what I'm talking about. Search - Don't forget to use our search feature at the top of every page. Also note we have an advanced search link right below the search box. Advanced searching can be a bit more accurate. Also, many of the sections in this site have their own search feature. When searching for a link, using the links section search is probably your best bet. The bottom line is, this site is nothing without your support. And understanding how the site works will help you make the most of your experience here. If you have any questions or comments, you are always free to contact me directly (or bother Bryan if you like!)